HERE maps adds Real-Time traffic to Middle-East

A good alternative to Google Maps hails from Nokia. Nokia owns Navteq and over the past few years they have been at healthy competition with Google Maps and in fact a lot of the data is shared across various applications, cars, GPS systems, etc.

Earlier we reported that HERE maps was getting a Street View like coverage in the UAE, and how it was on the verge of covering more area than Google Maps.

“Live traffic data for Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait”

Today, HERE maps has announced that HERE will add Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar to a growing footprint of live traffic data in the Middle-East. The UAE has already been getting live traffic updates. The new wave of updates should reflect next month, says HERE.

However Bahrain, Doha, Kuwait City already show signs of traffic updates. It is not clear if they are going to add more features on top of it. The traffic updates go deep down to community levels and it looks like they have most of the capital cities sorted in the Middle-East.

“Most comprehensive, global traffic service”

HERE gets real-time data that is collected and updated every 60 seconds from a broad range of sources, including billions of speed probes taken from cars and mobile devices every day (HERE maps app). HERE boasts a 100% coverage of roads and an accuracy of 10-metres

“In addition to traffic, HERE is leading the way in the rise of additional non-traffic information that impacts on in-car navigation,” said Stephen Longden, the author of automotive consultancy SBD’s annual Traffic Guide. “The Middle East in particular is a hot spot for connected car activities and has seen strong growth of navigation and traffic services… Data on factors like parking availability, fuel prices, EV charging points and the weather are being offered by HERE for use by in-car navigation and infotainment systems.”

HERE Real Time Traffic is the only traffic service on the market today that updates the direction of traffic flow on metropolitan reversible express lanes, allowing drivers to make more intelligent routing choices.